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Dehydrated Okra

With plenty of okra still coming in, yet seeing that the end is in sight we decided to try our hand at dehydrating okra. Earlier this year we tried our hand at drying a spicy version of okra in the oven set at 150º, which is as low as our oven goes. It turned out okay but was not quite what we wanted. This time we hit the mark. Here's how.

It's all very easy, actually. It just takes a little time and if you don't have a dehydrator an oven on the lowest baking temperature setting will do. We were concerned with how much energy the oven would use in the process, so we pulled out the old dehydrator. Ours is a very simple one. You just plug it in and it goes. We tested it with a laser thermometer and it blows a steady warm air at about 110º.

  1. Pick quite a quantity of small okra, three to four inches long. Keep in mind when it dries down it is all going to be much smaller. Pick a lot.
  2. Wash the okra and cut both ends off; just a tiny bit off both ends.
  3. Slice each pod lengthwise in half.
  4. Lay the pods out on the tray, only one layer thick, cut side up.
  5. Plug the dehydrator in and let it go, usually 36 hours. If you have a temperature setting keep it low, below 150º.
  6. When the pods crunch to your bite, they are ready to store in jars in a cool dark pantry.
  7. Repeat the process–several times–because you are going to eat them up like snack food.

Dehydrated okra should keep for a year or more. Snack on it or throw it into soups and stews. We still have plenty here on the farm. Give us a call to set up a time to come out and get some.

Fresh Pesto Is the Best Way to Store Your Basil

Nothing says Italian like fresh basil, and there is no better way to save your extra basil than by turning it into a pesto base. There are very few rules when it comes to pesto recipes, except that it should contain basil and olive oil. Beyond that add what you want . . . what you like. We like to add pine nuts and garlic. Blend your mix in a food processor, adding enough olive oil to make a medium-thick paste. Parmesan cheese and butter can be added later, if you are wanting a traditional pesto.

Once you have all of your desired ingredients thoroughly mixed up in the food processor, proceed to portion it all out into ice-cube trays and pop it in the freezer. Once your “cubes” are frozen you can dump them all out into a zip-lock freezer bag or glass jar and return them to the freezer. When ever you need a bit of basil just retrieve the required number of cubes and add them to whatever you are cooking.

Strawberry Rhubarb Coffee Cake

Filling:
3 cups sliced fresh or frozen rhubarb (1/2 ” pieces)
1 quart fresh strawberries, mashed
2 T. lemon juice
1 cup sugar
1/3 cup cornstarch

Cake:
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup sugar
1 t. baking powder
1 t. baking soda
1/2 t. salt
1 cup butter cut into pieces
1 1/2 cups buttermilk
2 extra large eggs
1/2 t. vanilla extract
1/2 t. almond extract

Topping:
1/4 cup butter
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
3/4 cup sugar

In a large saucepan, combine rhubarb,strawberries and lemon juice. Cover and cook over medium heat about 5 minutes. Combine sugar and cornstarch; stir into saucepan. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly until thickened; remove from heat and set aside. In a large bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Beat buttermilk, eggs, vanilla and almond extracts; stir into crumb mixture. Spread half of the batter evenly into a greased 14” by 10” by 2″ baking dish. Gently spread filling on top. Drop remaining batter by tablespoonfuls over filling. For topping, melt butter in a saucepan over low heat. Remove from heat; stir in flour and sugar until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Sprinkle over batter. Bake at 350 degrees for 40-45 minutes. Cool in pan.
Note:
I also use combinations of other fruits making this coffeecake….blueberries and tart pie cherries are great as well.

(Modified from a recipe found in a Country Woman Magazine, March/April 1993.)